


Brokeback Savannah

by LaCroixWitch



Series: HM500 Ficlets [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Co-workers, Documentary, Friends to Lovers, Hunter's Moon Discord's HM500 Event, M/M, Photographer Alec Lightwood, Scientist Magnus Bane, animal-safe safari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24726757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaCroixWitch/pseuds/LaCroixWitch
Summary: Cameraman Alec Lightwood has been trekking through the Savannah for weeks with Magnus Bane, documentarian and biologist extraordinaire, in search for an elusive pride of lions.Hunter's Moon 500 word prompt: Pride
Relationships: Magnus Bane & Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: HM500 Ficlets [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805062
Comments: 5
Kudos: 61
Collections: Hunter's Moon 500 Prompts





	Brokeback Savannah

**Author's Note:**

> Perhaps this was not how the prompt 'pride' was meant to be interpreted, but here we are. If any of you have read my other works, like 'A Mark on the Heart', you'll know that sticking to 500 words is damn near impossible for me. But again-- here we are. Enjoy?
> 
> Also-- apologies for the cheesy title. It was DianaCloudBurst's doing.

“Magnus, I think we need to just call it a day and go back to base camp.”

“No.. we’re so close, I can sense it.”

“Yes, we are also close to sundown. I’d prefer not to get mauled today. I figured I had at least a few more weeks before it came to that.”

“You’ve just proved my point— it’s nearing sundown. The lioness is likely traveling back to the pride to feed her cubs.”

“We’ve been watching her drag an antelope’s hind quarters through the brush for ten hours.”

“But look at her stomach! She clearly _ just _ stopped lactating! We don’t have a tracking signal for her. If we leave now, she’s lost for good!”

“Fine. You have thirty more minutes, and then I’m calling in the jeep to get us from base.”

“I still don’t know why it’s so hard to track this particular pride,” Magnus murmured, sneaking lower into the grass to follow the lioness. He looked through his binoculars— she was about 50 yards away. 

“Maybe they don’t want to be found. Wait Magnus— what are you doing??”

“Alexander, keep your voice down!”

“I’m sorry, but you’re running toward a lion. I’m supposed to protect you out here.”

“Yes, but you’re also supposed to film my nature documentary, which I can’t do if we are both hiding in the bushes all day.” Magnus strut into a clearing, framed perfectly by a hundreds-year-old baobab tree. The man always knew how to line up a perfect shot— the lioness visible in the background. 

“Noted.” Taking Magnus’ cue, Alec quickly set up his camera tripod, focusing on Magnus. “Rolling.”

“This is day twenty eight of our journey tracking the elusive lion pride, which we have nicknamed ‘The Circle’, due to their secretive nature. We followed this lioness for over ten hours, just after she’d killed and eaten a mature antelope. Our hopes were to follow her back to the pride, but we’ve had no such luck. With darkness looming and the sinister nighttime savannah coming to life, time is running out.” He paused for a few seconds before Alec stopped the recording. 

“Got it.” 

“I think that went well, but let’s get one more just in case. With a different approach.”

“Alright. Rolling.”

“This is day twenty eight of our journey tracking the elusive lion pride, and it’s time to admit that over the past week, I’ve come to a startling conclusion.” He stepped closer to the camera, making Alec adjust the focus. “I’ve fallen irrevocably in love with my gorgeous cameraman, and it’s impossibly distracting. I hypothesise that he returns the feeling, so I’m going to kiss him silly now against this beautiful baobab tree.”

Alec blushed as his back hit the bark, the heat flushing to his face making the hot African sun feel cold in comparison. Even though they were sweaty and tired, Magnus’ lips were supple, his taste delicious. His khaki safari gear somehow smelled like sandalwood.

“Magnus—” Alec laughed. “We’re still rolling.”


End file.
